Georgia Hybrid Electric Vehicle Laws and Incentives
State Laws and Regulations
Provision for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption
The Georgia Department of Revenue and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are authorized to develop a list of HEV models that qualify for an HOV lane exemption regardless of the number of passengers, pending federal legislative or regulatory approval. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in May 2007. A final rule is expected in September 2008, which will include criteria for defining exempt HEVs. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) must determine whether allowing the qualifying HEVs to travel in HOV lanes would degrade the performance of the lanes. Refer to the GDOT Web site for more information. (Reference Georgia Code 32-9-4)
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Definition
As defined by the Georgia Code, the definition of an alternative fuel vehicle includes HEVs. An HEV is defined as a motor vehicle that draws propulsion energy from onboard sources of stored energy, which includes an internal combustion or heat engine using combustible fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system. HEVs must meet federal Clean Air Act and California emissions standards, meet or exceed the federal Bin 5 Tier II emission levels, and have a fuel economy that is 1.5 times the Model Year 2002 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency composite class average for the same vehicle class. (Reference Georgia Code 40-2-76)
